Could a Rotherham occur in the United States? It’s hard to believe that a criminal enterprise of such scope and magnitude, with so many child victims, could happen here — but it’s hard to believe it could happen in England, either. The British aren’t fundamentally different from us, and the circumstances that gave rise to the decade of abuse in Rotherham — in particular, the desire to “not upset the apple cart” that caused authorities to turn their heads — could be replicated in America. Our own history is forever marred by instances where townspeople supported, or at least consciously ignored, murderous criminal gangs like the Ku Klux Klan. Whether it is concern about running afoul of those in power, or just following along with the crowd, or trying to avoid being publicly called a racist, prevailing social conventions can be powerful motivators.

An African proverb states that “it takes a village to raise a child,” and Hillary Clinton later wrote a book about that concept. Sometimes, however, villages like Rotherham fail.

They’ve been working on the newest New Albany traffic circle, at the intersection of Market Street and Route 62, for several months now. It’s been a pain for us because it removes one of the primary traffic corridors and routes everything through our neighborhood. It’s a different feel to be riding your bike on suburban streets that are rumbling with lots of traffic.

Still, we think the sacrifice will be worth it. The other traffic circles in our area — particularly the one in front of the Kroger and at the intersection of Route 62 and Morse Road — have a made a huge difference in traffic flow. Long lines of idling cars that used to be found at those locations no longer exist. Traffic circles also are more fun than a stop sign and a simple left turn.

We’ll be grateful when the construction is ended and the new circle is open, but it’s safe to say we won’t be the happiest recipient of that news: the long-suffering CVS at the corner of 62 and Market Street has basically been marooned for months, stranded on a little island of commerce in a muddy sea of construction.

Ohio State won its first game today, beating Navy 34-17. It was an excellent game, with Navy ripping off huge runs and gashing Ohio State with its great running game, and Ohio State responding with some big plays. Ohio State’s redshirt freshman quarterback made a bad play but made some good plays and now has a win under his belt, and the Ohio State defense bounced back from some bad breakdowns to stop Navy at the end and allow the Buckeyes to come away with the win.

But I don’t really want to write about the football right now. Instead, I’d rather write about the coolness of playing the United States Naval Academy, and the great displays of sportsmanship by college athletes from both schools before, during, and after the game. This was a game where there wasn’t any chippiness, or cheap penalties, or showboating for the cameras. Both teams played hard, but fair and within the rules. The Ohio State players obviously had great respect for Navy, and I think the Midshipmen felt likewise. When the teams honored each other by listening respectfully to both alma maters at the end of the game, it was a fitting and moving end to a great exhibition.

Don’t get me wrong — I’m glad that Ohio State won. But I also want to point out how refreshing it is to see college athletes behave with class, and dignity, in a manner that reflects well on both institutions. This is what college sports really should be about.

Ohio State fans used to make fun of Notre Dame for playing the service academies every year; we said it was just a way for the Fighting Irish to pad their win totals against overmatched opponents. After this game against Navy and the game in 2009 that I was privileged to attend in Ohio Stadium, we know differently. Even though this game with Navy was a nail-biter, and even though the Buckeyes’ victory was a hard-fought one, I’m hoping that the Ohio State Athletic Department schedules Navy again, and sees whether Army and Air Force might fit on future schedules. Playing them is a way to honor their service to our country and their role in securing our freedoms. When you hear the National Anthem on the same field with young men who soon will be placing themselves in harm’s way for the good of the country, it just has a different feel. I admire those Navy players, and I’ll be rooting for them to win every other game they play this year.

Finally, thanks to Mike N for the great photos. The photo at the top of this post, of the rows of assembled, white-clad Midshipmen on the field prior to the game, should give us all chills, and the photo below of Carmen Ohio being played while both teams stand respectfully, will remind us of how college sports can be great.

One other thing about today’s Ohio State-Navy game that is nettlesome: it’s symptomatic of another unfortunate, entirely money-driven aspect of big-time sports, because it’s being shown only on a cable channel that many systems don’t carry.

When I first looked up the venue for the game, I saw that it was on the CBS Sports Network — which I equate with CBS and channel 10 on my cable network. Wrong! The CBS Sports Network is a separate channel. If you live in the Columbus area and have Time-Warner cable, the CBS Sports Network is part of the sports station package and can be found at channel 531. If you don’t have that package, you’re out of luck and can watch U.S. Open Tennis on the CBS network instead.

Fortunately, I’ve got the package and will be able to watch the game. But the movement of games to remote television venues is here to stay and probably will get worse. It’s a way for networks to multiply their revenue streams, it’s a way for channels to put pressure on cable providers, and it’s a way for cable providers to get more money from subscribers who desperately want to watch their favorite teams play. If having Ohio State on the CBS Sports Network, or having the Cleveland Browns on the NFL Network, once a year causes fans to subscribe to broader channel packages beyond the “basic cable” offerings, that’s great news for everyone in the chain but the poor fan.

Even Michigan fans have to admit one thing about Buckeye Nation — Ohio State fans hit the road as well as any other fan base in the nation. Today’s game in Baltimore is no different. Many Buckeyes have spent the last few days in Annapolis, where the U.S. Naval Academy has its home, and the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore areas in preparation for the game.

Just because Labor Day weekend is here doesn’t mean that Food Truck Summer is over — at least, not yet. Today Kish, Russell and I headed down to Dinin’ Hall on a beautiful blue sky day for another taste of the best Columbus’ mobile cuisine corps has to offer. We found an impossible choice: the Green Meanie, or Dos Hermanos? Because I’ve already relished and celebrated the Green Meanie’s wonderful shiznite panko-crusted dog, this time we decided to head south of the border.

Let’s see, what to order? Tacos, tamales, quesadilla, or a grande burrito? Hmmm . . . well, we’re just going to have to declare a lunchtime exception to the no-carb/low-carb regimen and dig right in, aren’t we? And when there is a dish with “grande” as part of the title, how can you possibly choose something else? So three grande burritos it was, made with barbacoa and the works — although, in a sheepish nod to dietary discipline, I asked for mine without rice.

We promptly received three freshly made burritos that were approximately the size of a bodybuilder’s forearm. How to eat them? The thoughtful proprietors provided a fork that Kish — being a highly genteel person — politely used to good effect. Russell and I, on the other hand, decided to eschew social convention and use the two-handed approach. In my case, this was a thinly disguised excuse to lick my fingers and feel some of the juice from the combined ingredients run down my chin. And what a combination! The first heaping mouthful was grande, indeed, with pico delgallo, cilantro, sour cream and the other sauces mixing to pack a powerful flavor punch. Whew! For $8, the Dos Hermanos grande burrito has to be one of the great bargains in the Columbus food universe.

We shared Dinin’ Hall today with a large group from the United Way that was touring the Franklinton area. One of that party asked another what Dos Hermanos met, and nodded approvingly when the response was “two brothers.” I don’t speak Spanish, but I do know this: those two brothers can cook. Their truck is cool looking, too.

Most vanity plates seem like a waste of money to me. If you’re going to use your vanity plate to make a public declaration about your support for the Greatest Sandwich Ever Conceived, however, I can definitely understand that — especially now, when my effort to avoid carbs means that the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich is like the forbidden fruit. But a man can dream, can’t he? I’ll take mine with crunchy peanut butter and strawberry jam and cut diagonally, thank you very much.